Naruto: Jūnishi
by TwisterZaraku
Summary: An original story set in an alternate-reality taking place 100 years prior to the canonical story in a world where neither the Uchiha nor Senju exist. Follow the adventures of Teikaze Zaraku, Atsuya Oboku, and Minako Kiseki as they discover what it means to become legends in a world filled with prophecy, betrayal, and Beasts of the Zodiac.


_**Long ago, the universe consisted of nothing but eternal chaos. From the depths of this chaos, the**_  
 _ **Sage of the Heavens came to be, and he decided to create the world. With a swing of his mighty axe,**_  
 _ **he separated Yin from Yang, allowing Yin to fall to become the Earth while holding Yang up high to become the sky.**_  
 _ **After he had accomplished this, he deemed his task done, and so laid down to become the hills and mountains. He would**_  
 _ **breath the last of his power into 12 forms, each individually tasked with creating the wind and clouds and landscapes and**_  
 _ **rivers and oceans and valleys and mountains and creatures of the world. The 12 would soon come to be known as "Jūnishi" and from these Gods the gift of "Chakra**_  
 _ **was bestowed upon the people. After bearing this gift, the Jūnishi vanished, becoming the stars in the heavens to continue watching over humanity.**_

 _ **Soon after, the world erupted into violent contests of power, battling over the gift the Jūnishi gave them. Two powerful**_  
 _ **clans, the Uchiha and Senju, rose up as champions among the chaos, but after fierce contests, eliminated one another.**_  
 _ **Without the presence of either the Jūnishi nor these highly feared clans, the world soon found itself engulfed by the fires**_  
 _ **of war. After several years, the dust has settled and clans have formed unions with one another to create the first assemblies**_  
 _ **of villages, though the embers of war still burn hot. Our tale begins in the Land of Rivers' Village Hidden in the Valley,**_  
 _ **13 years after the resolution of this violent conflict...**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Earning His Stripes!**

The soft chirping of a kingfisher on his window-sill is what woke him up. Groggily, he sat up and stretched with a yawn, running a hand through his red, unkempt hair after doing so. Looking up at the bird, who was vibrantly visible due to the high-morning sun, the boy first cast a lazy expression its way before suddenly replacing it with shock.

"Oh, no..." Quickly, he lunged a hand forward towards his end table to grab his clock, shoving aside several notes written by his friend, Minako, reminding him not to be late. "I'm late!"

Hastily, the young ninja jumped out of bed, fumbling around loose clothes littered on the floor of a messy room and bumping into a few dozen more notes adhered to the wall to ensure what was currently happening would not happen. While collecting his items, he bumped into more and more objects - the effects of an untidy room – causing him to audibly swear each time. He ran out of his room while pulling a tight black shirt over his head, slamming shut the shoji as he sped down the hall. He slid to a stop in the kitchen and fell as he tried to put on white cargo pants while a woman peered up from sweeping to look at the scrambling young ninja.

"And so he rises from the land of the dead," jeered the woman, Aisu, smiling while doing so.

"Mom! I'm late! Why didn't you wake me up?" The boy said frantically as he quickly tried to put his shoes on.

"You know what your father would say: 'A ninja always does what he needs to do'. How do you expect to be a ninja if you can't be on time?"

"Ahhhh, man!" the boy grunted. "Dad's totally going to hear about this, isn't he? Please don't tell him!" Pleaded the woman's son. She sighed and shook her head.

"And what sort of lesson will you learn if you don't start being accountable, Teikaze Zaraku?"

"Right, got it, tough love - thanks a ton, Mom," Teikaze groaned under his breath as he sped towards the door, shoving a rice cake into his mouth while doing so. He reached for the coat rack to grab his jacket; a single-sleeved white coat that buckled around his mid-section. Aisu shook her head once more, amused, but not surprised, by the antics of her oldest son. They were usually cause to brighten her mornings. For Teikaze, however, the thought of hearing what his father would say later was enough to ruin his day.

"Good luck on your match today, Teikaze! Tell your father I'll have dinner waiting for you both!" Aisu called, moving a strand of wheat colored hair to the side of her soft face. Teikaze simply waved and was ready to go.

When he opened the door, he was immediately surprised by the sight of his younger brother, Toka.

"Ugh, Toka, what do you want? I'm in a hurry." sighed Teikaze, taking off in a jog towards the Academy with Toka closely in tow.

"Oh, I know, Tei; you're late for the graduation. I was coming to wake you up," spoke Toka, causing Teikaze to smile at the affection of his sibling. The young boy was much shorter than his brother, being that he was only 8, but he made an obvious attempt to match the stylings and behavior of Teikaze. Despite the influence their father had to maintain their hair in a traditional fashion, the young boy kept his hair loose and spiky, like his brother. He also wore more sporty clothing instead of the noble garbs their father opted for. For Toka, his adoration for his older brother knew no bounds. "Can I run with you to the village road?"

"Yeah, I guess. But I'm not going to slow down for you," Teikaze said, devouring the last of his rice cake.

"You don't have to go slow! I've gotten much faster since the last time we - " Without warning, Teikaze was already a few dozen meters down the walkway, and with a yelp, Toka sped up to get right behind him.

"You're going to become a real life ninja, today, big brother! Just like Dad!" Toka beemed. Teikaze looked down at his younger brother and smiled, despite his look of dissatisfaction at the comment.

"Come on, now, don't start comparing me to the old man," Teikaze groaned. "Besides, I've got to actually _be_ there in order to become a ninja." Toka giggled in response as the two of them continued jogging to the edge of the Zaraku complex. Their land was generous and held several buildings and even a tenshu in the center, as their clan was prominent in the village and held a noble status. While the two made their way, they passed by several people in their clan - distant family members that they all knew by name. More than a few wished good luck to Teikaze as he breezed by. Once the two crossed their rice fields and got to the wooden fence that indicated the edge of their property and connected to the main road to the village, Toka stopped. Out of breath and with hands on his knees, Toka cheered his brother on as he kept jogging.

"Tei! Good luck today!"

"Ha, as if I need luck! See you later!" Teikaze called back, never breaking stride, as he continued into the village.

" _He's so cool. I want to be just like my big bro_..." reflected the young shinobi-to-be as he stood up and watched his older brother stride away with pride glued to his face.

* * *

Tanigakure was truly a sight to behold. With the sun high overhead, all the buildings and roads in the Village Hidden in the Valleys sang with beautiful harmonies of teal green and sierra brown - a detail granted by the limestone material used in it all. Each road, like the one Teikaze was on, wove in an intricate pattern to create a complex system of streets, connecting each stretch of the village to one another. Beyond the building tops and scaling the sides of the village, a tall wall of spiked earth hid the village from the view of the natural landscape - an element of protection from the eyes of would-be invaders. Just on the other side of the jagged towering walls, a vast river pummeled the base of the rock, allowing for a blanket of mist to coat the village. Teikaze inhaled deeply through his nose, breathing in the moisture in the air and finding comfort in doing so. This village, despite its youth, was truly a village worthy of protection.

Eventually, Teikaze found himself at the academy building, out of breath and sweating. He burst the door open, ran through the interior hallways, and slid into his academy room with a loud thud of the door, interrupting their teacher in the middle of a speech. All eyes in the classroom went to Teikaze, and while this was not at all unusual to have him show up tardy, his instructor, Datsu Kanketsusen, glared at the boy entering the room. Teikaze immediately knew why. While only a few minutes tardy, it was apparent that Datsu was in the middle of introducing the Kawakage, Moshi Takako, to the class. Her eyes were directly on Teikaze, and she was not impressed with what she saw.

"Ah. Teikaze. Fashionably late, as always. Glad you actually decided to join us," Datsu said with dissatisfaction dancing on his voice while he twirled a toothpick between his teeth. "Why don't you take your usual seat? Or should we give you until tomorrow?" A few of the classmates laughed at Teikaze, who bowed with embarrassment, before silently making his way towards his seat.

Behind both Datsu and Moshi stood three Jounin who were observing all of the students. One, a female with an attractive face but a mean look, ticked audibly. She wore wraps on her arms, showcasing the toughness of her skin and held long, brittle brunette hair. While short, she had a large presence. Soon, she leaned in to another Jounin with slate hair a freckled pale skin, muttering behind Datsu as he continued explaining.

"Isn't that Tsuriken's boy?" she whispered, pointing disgustingly at Teikaze with a firm finger.

"... It would seem to be," the man muttered back, yawning. His eyes were red and heavy.

"Yeah. I'm not picking him. Favor's be damned. He's for you and Masato to choose from," she snapped back definitively, her scowl louder than her voice.

"Ha! No thanks, Mizuchi. I'll pass. Can't stand a lazy ninja. He's all yours, Keizo!" grinned Masato, showing sharp teeth hidden behind shoveled locks of orange hair.

Keizo turned his tired eyes back to the children and said nothing as he watched Teikaze up to his seat.

Slowly, Teikaze made his way to where he usually sat - an empty spot next to Minako a few rows up. While doing so, he passed by a couple of his classmates, Toshiharu and Senri, who both seemed to find a hard time containing their laughter at the expense of Teikaze. Rounding to his seat, he passed by Atsuya Oboku, a blind ninja who normally kept to himself. As far as Teikaze could tell, he was the closest thing the kid had to a friend, as there was always a connection that drew the two together, in some way. Despite this, he was never able to really connect with the boy, though Atsuya rarely reached out to others in the class, too. Without saying anything to him, Teikaze continued his walk to his desk. Sitting behind Atsuya, Teikaze took his seat directly beside Minako, the friend who left him reminder notes to not be late that day. She looked as though she was ready to knock Teikaze's head off his shoulders.

"So are you about to tell me you didn't see my notes?" she spoke, lifting a hand to slide strands of raven hair away from her glare.

"I overslept, Minako," groaned Teikaze, who slouched back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling with lazy eyes of sapphire. He knew this was waiting for him the second he woke up. Minako faked a look of shock.

" _Oh_. Is _that_ why you're late? I would've never guessed. If only there were _some_ precaution set in place to prevent this from happening," she spat back blinkingly and with sarcasm, but was immediately interrupted.

"Minako? Is there perhaps something you'd like to share with the class?" shot Datsu, raising a brow as he tossed the straw between his teeth. Minako jumped, snapping to sit up straight in her seat.

"N-no, Datsu-sensei! I'm sorry!" Minako said, nervously keeping her focus to the front, but not without first sending an infuriated look back at Teikaze. He simply shrugged as though he did nothing wrong.

"Hm.. Well, as I was saying, we're joined today by the Kawakage to help celebrate our nation's first graduating shinobi class. Unlike _some of you_ ," Datsu motioned at Teikaze, drawing more snickers and giggles out of the class. "The shinobi of this village actually take today pretty seriously. So, the Kawakage has a few words she'd like to say. Lady Kawakage?" Datsu motioned towards Moshi, offering the floor. The youthful Kawakage stepped forward, looking around the room with dusty gray eyes, smiling behind long locks of blonde hair. Wearing a ceremonial set of robes and a tan kasa, Moshi raised a hand to lift her hat back to rest on her neck, happily looking at the kids in the room.

"Today goes beyond just you all in this room," she said, her voice light and friendly. "Today is about honor. Honor for you, for your families, and for our village. I'm so proud to see such potential in this room willing to represent your families, striving to lift the value of this great nation even higher," Moshi said, beaming with pride.

"However, now the real test begins. Before any of you can receive your headbands, you must first display before your teachers, village peers, and myself that you have a mastered grip of the basics of ninjutsu," Moshi waved her wrist, as suddenly dust began to spread from beneath her robes causing a board to materialize beside her as a result, causing the class to _ooh_ - _and-_ _ahh_ in response.

"We'll be selecting pairs of you to participate in sparring matches, and we will judge and determine whether or not you have earned a role to be considered a fellow shinobi of the Hidden Valleys. So, in total, there will be four matches showcasing everyone's skill.

"Minako," Moshi called out, raising a finger towards the young kunoichi. She responded without missing a beat.

"Yes, Lady Kawakage?" She rose respectfully from her seat.

"Since you're the top of your class and have received such high regards from Datsu, you are exempt from this test and instead, will help in setting this up. Congratulations. You're officially a ninja," Moshi smiled as she watched Minako gain a confused look on her face, which was soon followed by an overwhelming amount of joy and reward. Holding a hand out, Moshi had a briefcase appear within it, which she opened and revealed a sparkling row of brand new headbands, each engraved with the village insignia. The Kawakage picked one up and held it towards Minako. "Come get your headband. You're going to choose the participants of each match-up for this afternoon."

With seafoam eyes, Minkao looked at the box the Kawakage presented in silence for a moment, looking at the assortment of cloth headbands within. Then, after a beat, she grinned and called out to the front of the room.

"Yes, Lady Kawakage! Thank you," she announced with purpose and a slight bow. She graciously walked towards the box, a trait noted by every elite in the room and an action that earned the admiration of her class. She lifted a hand forward and grabbed a headband, then tied it around her forehead and turned her attention to the room of students she now, technically, outranked. Turning back towards the board Moshi made appear, she grabbed a piece of chalk and began to create a chart, consisting of eight lines and broken into groups of two. On the top, she wrote out "Graduation Bouts" with small pictures of a sun and a happy looking squid, symbols meant to encourage her classmates. Then, without stopping, she dove into filling out names in the blank spots. As she wrote, she moved her hand with incredible speed and precision, but also with very little strain and effort.

The atmosphere of the classroom shifted from its usual playful brand of care-free, to an anxious attention. With every stroke on the board, more hushed whispers filled the silence. With every name, a pair of wide eyes glued themselves to the list. The first real test for these hopeful, young shinobi would prove to be a defining moment in the story of their lives.

Up in the seats, Teikaze continued to sit slumped in his seat and shifted his attention to the blind ninja sitting before him. He thought back through their time together at the Academy and found a familiar twinge of frustration when revisiting the memories of when he attempted to befriend Atsuya. Despite his attempts to try and understand him, Teikaze was never able to break through the barriers he was known to put up. Though Teikaze hadn't really tried anything more than simply talking to Atsuya, it still baffled the red-haired shinobi that he never reciprocated his attempts at friendship. However, Teikaze never took offense or felt angry by the slight; instead, he felt sad for Atsuya. Teikaze knew the sightless youth had no family to go home to after class ended, and had even stood up for Atsuya when picked on by others during their Academy days - kids who managed to be dropped from the course for this or for that. Teikaze exhaled sharply through his nose when he remembered the fact that Atsuya didn't need any help when handling bullies, and instead of being presented with appreciation, he had managed to insult him. Still, this didn't deter the empathy Teikaze felt for him. While other students viewed Atsuya as a sort of rude and cold individual, Teikaze knew he was just lonely.

"Alright!" Minako called out, causing Teikaze to snap his attention back to the front. "So based off academic performance and individual talent, I have organized everyone into match-ups that I believe pose the best challenges for one another!" Minako beamed happily, excited by the impressed faces of the elites in the room with them. Then, Datsu stepped forward to read the names of the people who would be fighting.

"Ah, very nice, Minako! I knew you'd do great," her instructor praised. In response, Minako looked as though she couldn't possibly be more pleased with herself. Datsu looked at the names, chewing lightly on the stick in his mouth. Then he cleared his throat and turned to the room.

"Alright, students. It seems like this will be the order and the pairings of the contests you'll be participating in, today. Here's what we've got. The bouts are:

 _Senri Okami vs Andonoki_  
 _Hana Himawari vs Toshiharu Kawaguchi_  
 _Rai Hidenoki vs Haru Himawari_  
 _Teikaze Zaraku vs Atsuya Oboku_ "

There was a varied reaction in the room as the students heard their names called off and who their opponents would be. The white-haired, wild looking Senri smirked and excitedly looked over at who his opponent was listed on the board. Standing up proudly, he propped a foot on his desk and hastily pointed a finger towards the moody Andonoki, who sat silently in baggy clothes off to the side of the room.

"Yes! I get Ando! Talk about an easy victory!" Senri's hair bounced on top of his head as he proclaimed his declaration towards his classmate. He grinned with confidence and knew in his heart that he'd find victory, despite finishing the lowest in his graduating class. Still, the excitement of going first was nearly too much for Senri to handle. " _And_ I get to go first? _Yaaahoo!_ " After a bit, Senri soon found himself paying no mind to his brooding opponent. The entire time, Andonoki leaned against a flat palm propped on his desk, casting a disinterested look out of the window he sat near.

Meanwhile, sitting directly behind Senri, another ninja sat shyly in her seat, turning a bit blue in the face. Hana Himawari, the introverted sister of the Himawari Twins, glanced over at her opponent, Toshiharu. Her heart skipped a beat when she managed to lock eyes with him, which she quickly broke and looked away. Despite her hesitance, Toshiharu flashed a genuine smile.

"I get to go against Hana? Awesome!" Toshiharu could hardly stay in his seat. He spun around to face his future opponent, with his knees on the seat of his chair. "Try not to blink Hana, or you might miss me!" The boy called back to her with a cheesy grin.

" _Oh, no... How am I supposed to keep up with Toshiharu? I.. I'm not sure I'm even able to. This isn't good.._ " Hana muttered under her breath. She was really unsure how she felt, entirely, but out of the cyclone of emotions that came with the day, the fear of being a stationary, long-range ninja pitted up against the most agile member of the class was not a prospective she idealized highly. However, sitting beside her was her sportier sister, Haru. Unlike Hana, Haru didn't feel the same trepidation. She outstretched an arm and swung around on a swivel, coming to a point with a hand in the shape of a gun. That gun pointed directly at Rai Hidenoki in the very back of the class.

"You're going down Rai! Whatever it is you do... you've got no chance!" A hint of uncertainty could be heard in Haru's voice, but she did her best to guise it with confidence as she winked towards him.

In the very back of the room, wrapped in dark clothes from the neck down and an eye-cover keeping his eyes hidden from others, a ninja sat in silence and clung to the shadows of the room. He was the only one in the entire room that truly appeared like a traditional shinobi. Rai Hidenoki said no words nor moved from his spot as he remained still after hearing his opponent be the other Himawari Twin, and still didn't move after hearing Haru call to him. Despite looking right at the ninja, Haru wasn't able to read his emotions or thoughts of the match-up at all. She sighed heavily and shook her head.

"This class is full of moody boys…" Haru muttered, slumping disappointedly in her seat with her arms folded.

And lastly, among the chatter, the final two combatants listened to their names get paired – young Teikaze and Atsuya. When Teikaze heard his name called, he perked up a bit, and looked back down at Atsuya, who sat unmoved. His brow burrowed a bit with concern having been caught off-guard by this pairing considering the fact he was in the middle of reminiscing about their academy days. After the shock faded, he smirked as he felt a fire slowly start to spread within him. It sung a chorus that called to him - this match up felt right. Teikaze always knew he wasn't effective at conveying how he thought and felt towards his classmate. Words didn't work with Atsuya, at least not the one's Teikaze could find, so maybe his fists could get through to him. Regardless, he had to try, and he suddenly found himself overwhelmed with determination to connect with the blind ninja. Atsuya, on the other hand, was deep in thought.

He hadn't reacted to hearing his name called with Teikaze, and instead searched for a reason why Minako would have paired the two together. Should he feel insulted? Teikaze's academic performance was the lowest in the class, being saved from the bottom only by his natural abilities. Yet Minako considered the two of them on an even playing field. His genetic talents were most certainly spectacular, but none of the other students had ever seen him display the potential that comes with his last name. They would quicker find him asleep in his seat. Or even more likely, missing entirely. Meanwhile, Atsuya trained every day to keep up with his peers. He held no gifts of the shinobi world, save for the burden he had been forced to carry every day of his life due to its cruelty. Despite this, he more than kept up with his classmates, consistently landing within the top of his class. What did Minako know? Did she feel they both had something to prove? If so, to who? Atsuya caught himself before spiraling too deeply within his own thoughts, shifting in his seat and causing his shaggy brown hair to part from the cloth wrapped around his eyes. This feeling was strange, and rather unsettling. He took in a breath of air, and exhaled as much of the worry as he could. It would be a fight to remember, no doubt.

"Alright," Datsu interrupted, as the students turned their attention back to him. "These bouts will take place in the arena courtyard and will start in an hour. Go ahead and get prepared and go over any techniques you'll need to know. Remember - this is a pass/fail test. Just because you lose your bout does not mean you will fail, and just because you win does not mean you will pass. So make sure you're all taking this seriously. We'll see you all, then," Datsu said. Soon him, and all the other ninja elites in the room, vanished with a plume of smoke.

The news of this elevated the stakes a bit for Teikaze, as he remained sitting in his seat with his eyes glued to Atsuya. He wondered what he was thinking, having heard that he was his opponent as well. He contemplated tapping him on the shoulder to talk, but instead waited for Minako to come back. Soon she walked up the steps to their desks and stood between the two of them on the stairs with an agitated look on her face.

"There. _Now_ maybe you both can stop acting so dumb around each other and maybe you can actually be friends," Minako stated, shifting her gaze between the two of them. Teikaze turned a bit red in the face, snapping back towards his friend with agitation.

"W-what are you talking about, Minako? No one's acting dumb. Gah, jeez, what is wrong with you?" Teikaze fumbled his words as he threw them out, finally just deciding on crossing his arms and looking away from the both of them, instead. Minako grew defiant.

"Really? Then why haven't either of you said a word to one another?" Teikaze recoiled, clearly beaten by that response. He burrowed his brow, growing defensive.

"Why should I have to talk to my enemy before combat, huh?" Teikaze said in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

"Because we're still classmates, you pancake," Minako snapped back. The two of them went back and forth for a bit, but soon Atsuya stood up without a word, yet it still caused them to stop and look up at him. He turned and silently walked down the steps, dragging a hand along the wall as he went to help guide him down. Eventually, he reached the door and left. Teikaze stood up straight as he watched him leave, a growing feeling of contempt growing in his heart. He could feel the intensity of the match to come. Minako droned on about something relating to her being correct, but Teikaze found himself unwilling to continue their bickering. Instead, he had leaped across the classroom towards the windows and, incidentally, directly in front of Andonoki. The green-haired outcast reared back and glared angrily towards Teikaze. Teikaze paid him no mind and opened the window to crawl out. He scaled up to the roof, ignoring the curious commotion he left behind him.

The time in between the announcement of the match-ups and the start of the ceremony allowed Teikaze the opportunity to relax for a moment at his favorite hiding spot at the Academy. The roof of the Tanigakure school building stood tall, towering above the other buildings down into town, as it rested atop a hill. However, at the summit of this rooftop was a flat spot, perfect for Teikaze to lounge on and look down on the the rest of the village. He laid on his back with his arms folded behind his head, alone in thought. Gentle morning mists from the crashing rivers surrounding the village sprayed him at the outskirts of town, and aside from the distant cheers and playful jeers of the younger academy students below him, Teikaze was able to sit alone in silence to reflect on his thoughts. His mind darted back to Atsuya, continuing onto the thought he was trailing on earlier in the classroom. There were plenty of times he had witnessed Atsuya get bullied going through the Academy, though he thought back to one moment in particular.

Back in the first few months of the Academy, the class had almost double the amount of students attending. Various members had failed or dropped out for one reason or another, but Teikaze clearly remembered a duo who became the class bullies. Having been the son of the reputable Tsuriken Zaraku, people typically didn't bother Teikaze for fear of his family's eyes. However, Atsuya didn't have that threat about him. They'd often trip him or knock things off his desk just to watch him struggle in finding it due to his handicap. The few times they seemed friendly to him were actually moments of deceit, disguised as good intentions only to do something cruel like leave an embarrassing note attached to his back. In those early days, when they were all still young children, no one really stood up for Atsuya. Then one day, Teikaze found the two of them cornering Atsuya after school when everyone else had left for the day. He peaked around a corner, out of sight, but still able to watch as they shoved him down to the ground.

"Just stay down, Sightless Blunder," the larger bully said, keeping his arms crossed with a smug look plastered to his face. The smaller one stood off to his side, cheering and urging him on.

"Yeah, show him who's boss, Shunko!" Shunko, the one who pushed down Atsuya, nodded as he looked down at Atsuya. Teikaze's eyebrow ticked in anger at seeing how they treated him without any adults around. A second later, however, Atsuya started to stand up. His face held a blank expression, though his eyes were covered by a piece of cloth behind his head. Once he got up, he began to calmly dust himself off, when suddenly Shunko pushed him down again. The little one cheered once more. "What a stupid kid! Didn't your mommy teach you any sense?" Shunko laughed at what his friend said.

"Yeah right, Sosa!" Shunko boasted. "His mommy and daddy died a long time ago. It's no wonder he's too stupid to know he can't be a ninja." Teikaze's grip on the corner of the wall tightened as he felt anger flush through him. Still, Atsuya stood up calmly and began dusting himself off once again. He went to take a step away from them to leave, but soon found a knee in his gut. He cried out in pain and collapsed after the strike from Shunko. Atsuya coughed as he fell to the ground, one hand clenched over his gut while the other dug into the dirt. He jumped up and flailed his arm wildly to try and strike at the bullies, but missed by a long shot, not able to connect. The bullies laughed harder.

"Wow!" Sosa croaked in a frog-like voice, soon squatting to get closer to Atsuya. "What a useless kid." When he got close, he was able to see the tears of frustration running down Atsuya's face, which he patted with the back of his hand. "Aw, poor baby. To be honest, I didn't know you could cry without any eyes."

"Maybe he does have eyes, but they're just as ugly as he is," Shunko called out. Sosa raised a brow in interest.

"Hey, you might be right, Shunko! Let's see if we can see what he's hiding..." The two began stepping towards Atsuya, grinning wildly. Atsuya flipped onto his rear and began crawling backward, desperate to get away, but they grabbed at him and began to try and rip away the headband, kicking and punching him to get him to stop.

"No! Get off me!" Atsuya yelled out, trying his best to free himself as he started to squirm frantically.

"Hold still! We just — want to see — what your messed up eyes look like!" the duo called out. Finally, Teikaze had seen more than enough. Without warning, a foot connected hard with the face of the larger bully as he tumbled a few steps and fell on his back. Saso looked down at Shunko, and before he could realize what was happening, a fist found itself clashing against his chin, lifting him off the ground only to crash near his friend. The two stood up, bruised and angry, and glared at the source of the attack.

"Hey! What's the big idea? Who di-" But then they stopped their sentence when they saw who it was.

"Oh crap! It's the Zaraku kid!" Sosa feebly called out, cowering against his buddy.

"You guys sure are tough; picking on a blind kid." Teikaze slid a foot and got into a readied stance. He closed his bright blue eyes for a second, then when he opened them, the two cowardly bullies saw an entirely different pair looking back at them. The whites of his eyes were replaced with pure blackness, and his iris and pupil swirled to form a set of rotating purple triangles. A shadowy essence emanated off of him, as the two on the ground before him stared directly into the Zaraku's famed bloodline ability: the Mekurokon.

The two immediately stood up and ran off, not wanting to get involved with whatever the shadow ninja was going to unleash next. Taking a heavy breath, the young Teikaze stood straight up and rested his eyes, allowing them to return back to normal when he opened them again. Smiling, he turned towards Atsuya and offered a hand towards him to help him up.

"Sorry about those two - they're idiots. Would you like help standing up?" Atsuya could feel the presence of Teikaze's hand in front of him, and he simply "stared" up at Teikaze for a moment. A second later, Atsuya responded by smacking his hand away, much to Teikaze's surprise. Standing straight up, Teikaze watched as Atsuya helped himself stand, wiping away already drying blood from his mouth and brushing dust off himself.

"I will never be in a position where I need help from you, or anyone else, again," Atsuya said with a steely voice. He limped away with one arm clutching his side and the other dragging fingertips against the wall. Teikaze simply watched in bewilderment as he could feel the bitterness and anger Atsuya held. "Mark my words, I will prove I can be a fine ninja."

From that day on, Atsuya seemed to hate Teikaze, as he was often cold or rude to him in future interactions. Still, the blind boy was diligent in his training, and it showed in his performance in class. Eventually, Atsuya was able to improve so much that he wound up finishing third from the top, ending only behind the talented Minako and Toshiharu. Teikaze, on the other hand, was very much not in that boat. Without needing to put out much effort, Teikaze often found himself able to keep up with his classmates — the gift of an advanced family's blood flowing through his veins. However, his academic performance plummeted. Without training or studying, Teikaze finished close to the bottom of his class when he was more than capable of finishing at the top. Perhaps that was the core reason why Atsuya treated Teikaze with coldness.

Sighing lightly, Teikaze ended his daydream and sat up and stretched fully while tilting his head to the side. After doing so, he stood up and looked down at the younger students below him and smirked as he felt the wind. The breeze danced up alongside the edge of the building and kissed the sides of his face, tempting his hair into a dance in tandem. He had reckoned enough time had passed for the start of the matches to begin and figured it was a good time to head towards the ceremony arena, though he groaned at who he thought would be there, remembering his father would likely attend. After a few brief thoughts of this, his mind darted back to Atsuya and the match he was about to have. With an emboldened grin, Teikaze stepped forward and jumped off the roof.

 ** _***An Hour Later***_**

The arena, which was constructed just days prior solely for the graduation fights, was a spectacle to behold. The entirety of the arena was carved and constructed out of the natural lime-rock that made the mountainous walls of the village, with large, ascending stalagmites reaching upward. Rows upon rows of seats were added to the outer rings of the arena to accompany the many seats for all to attend, and as the seats got higher, they also went further out. Flat, soft dirt was presented in the middle, an opening large enough for all combatants to perform their ninjutsu without interruption and with perfect visibility. High above, the ceiling was missing in an asymmetrical fashion, adding to the natural setting of the arena. The natural scents of the crashing rivers around the village held its ground within the arena, as it mixed with the natural musk of the dirt floating in the air. With the cheers and sounds of nearly every village member present inside, the walls of the arena did a marvelous job at replicating and repeating the sounds throughout the room. In the center of the arena, a rectangular area had been marked off in white paint, serving as the combat floor. The gray slab walls of the courtyard rose up around them. Large orange banners hung from the roof proudly flew the Tanigakure symbol on every wall. The upper portions of the arena wall served as a sort of mezzanine viewing area, standing room only. To the surprise of the graduates, the balcony was packed with attendees. Every elite ninja, academy staff, curious onlooker, and children of all ages gathered to bear witness. Even the new graduates parents were in attendance. Truly, this was an inspiring event as the Kawakage had not only arranged quite an audience for this occasion, but crafted quite the impressive arena for it to take place in. It wasn't too surprising; it was the first ever ninja graduation after all.

As Teikaze stepped through the tunnel leading into the arena - the entrance meant for the combatants - he was immediately overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of all in attendance. Soon, he made his way towards where the other members of his class stood, awaiting instruction. Tucked away above the fighter's entrance and secluded in its own spectacular balcony sat the rows of chairs for the Kawakage and other higher-ups. Once Teikaze got into position, he could see his father, Tsuriken, sitting directly next to the Kawakage. With a heavy sigh, Teikaze groaned as he made eye-contact with him. Stern and hard, as always. As if the gravity of these fights wasn't heavy on the children's shoulders as it was, the isolated view of their Kage and future senseis changed the implications completely. Overwhelmed by the moment, Teikaze made his way to the combatant bleachers in a daze before being grounded by a familiar voice.

"Yo! Teikaze! We were starting to wonder if you were going to be fashionably late again," sneered Toshiharu, bumping Teikaze's shoulder with his fist as he walked up.

"You know, Toshi, I was considering it," Teikaze teased back with a smile, which drew the same reaction from his friend. Soon, Toshi continued a previous conversation with Senri without skipping a beat. To no one's surprise, Senri was already boasting about how he was going to win, and Toshi and the rest of his buddies were lapping up his confidence. However, his attention was more stolen by the silent Andonoki who remained reserved and to himself. The few times Teikaze got a chance to interact with him proved that the secluded ninja had a deranged mind, and as a result, Teikaze found himself never wanting to remain around him for long. Soon, however, Teikaze's thoughts were interrupted by his sensei speaking up in the center of the arena. Down on ground level, Datsu stood, beaming with pride while he gazed upon his students. Through the dull roar of the villagers watching, he gave a few heartfelt words.

"It has been an honor to have taken you all this far. I am confident each of you will leave a profound mark on this world. Study hard, train harder, and you will know no limits." He peered over his shoulder to see Lady Moshi rise from her seat up on the balcony, and the crowd hush. "The Kawakage will address you now. I hope you are ready." He scanned every student standing by the bleachers as he spoke the last sentence.

"Today is a day of monumental occasion." Lady Moshi's voice boomed within the courtyard walls. "This class marks the first of many more to come. Many years of growth, progress, and unity among shinobi. This village shall stand as an example that true strength comes from one who develops not only their body, but their mind and soul. We have gathered an audience of your fellow citizens to show you that we are one people," She gestured her hand towards the students in a manner akin to that of royalty, "and to show them just how far you have come in this first step towards change in the shinobi world." The Kawakage's arms then stretched outward as if opening for an embrace.

"Let the honorary, first ceremonial graduation matches begin!" Her glorious exclamation was only matched by the cheers of all in attendance.

"Can you guys believe this?!" Toshi could hardly contain his excitement as he jerked his head back and forth from the crowd, to his classmates. "This is gonna be so much fun! You're up first, right Senri?"

"Sure am!" Senri said with a cocky and confident smirk. "I said it before, and I'll say it again. This is gonna be easy!" He planted a thumb on his own chest while casting a side glance towards Andonoki, who seemed entirely uninterested in the subject.

"Don't doubt my man Ando!" Toshi responded, flashing a bright smile that contrasted against his dark skin. "I hear he gets pretty crazy when he fights."

"Do your best, Senri. Just don't hurt each other too bad..." A nervous Hana called out to her friend, though she was still filled with nerves herself. Haru stood beside her, keeping the short, auburn hair off Hana's face while she leaned over a bucket. As she stood over her nauseous twin, Haru simply sighed and rubbed her back to try and comfort her. Rai stood off to the side in silence, but very clearly intently observing the rest of the arena. Teikaze's attention, however, was suddenly snapped away by the familiar sound of his younger brother, Toka, calling him from the stands.

"Hey! Big brother! Good luck today!" Toka called, standing excitedly at the bottom of the stands closest to the arena and waving at Teikaze.

The red-haired youth looked over and saw his younger brother hanging off the railing excited as could be. Right next to his brother, Teikaze saw his mom, as well, who smiled affectionately in his direction. Suddenly, Teikaze felt embarrassed and soon lowered his head to his shoulders, turning red in the face. Seemingly saving him from his feelings of bashfulness, Haru looked up from her nervous sister and pointed up into the crowds.

"Look up there, guys! It's Minako!" Realizing the rest had finally seen her, the newly accepted Genin gave her friends a joyful wave from the stands.

"We've all worked so hard for this..." Minako spoke quietly to herself. Not a moment later, she leaned herself over the railing and yelled triumphantly, the fervor of the moment getting the better of her. "SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF, GUYS!"

Teikaze smiled as he looked up at her, finding that he needed her encouragement. He found she always knew what to say, and when to say it. Then, he looked over the other combatants who were standing with him and noticed Atsuya for the first time, standing alone. No one gathered near him, and he didn't seek anyone out - as was usually the case with the blind ninja. A brief thought danced through Teikaze's mind about possibly keeping him company and breaking the tension between the two of them, but opted against it. Soon, Datsu spoke once more from the center of the arena.

"Andonoki, Senri. I believe you two will be going first. Follow me to the ring, and we'll get started," spoke Datsu, twirling his stick between his teeth as he ushered them both forward.

"Yes! Here we go~~~!" Senri cheered while jumping forward, quickly taking his spot within the designated starting spot. He barred his teeth, grinning a flashy set of sharpened fangs while his pale hair shrugged with his gestures. He stood proudly, soaking in the howls he heard from the other members of the Okami clan who had showed up to watch. He stood confidently as he watched Andonoki make his slow approach to the stage, his head bowed and his eyes closed, not saying a word. As he daunted towards the center of the arena, Ando's hands were unable to be seen within the long sleeves of his coat, nor the bottom half of his face as his collar stood high on end. Taking his spot opposite Senri, it was clear Ando towered over his opponent, though he was pencil-thin, which only added to his eerie demeanor. Still, Senri grinned confidently and stood his ground, causing the entirety of the arena hushing as the combatants took their spots.

"Alright, you two. A reminder that this is a friendly bout between compatriots. There's no need to kill one another, and if I see that the match is clearly over, I'll step in to intervene if need be. This is simply a test to prove that the lessons and training you received in the academy has prepared you enough to be introduced to missions on the front lines. Remember your training, and show us what you've got," Datsu paused for a moment, proudly smirking at both of his students.

"Begin!" With a swirl of dust and small rocks, Datsu vanished from the center of the arena.


End file.
